Lock



M. FALK Aug. l5, 1933.

LOCK

Filed Oct. 17, 1928 Patented Aug. l5, 1933 Lock Morris Falk, Fitchburg, Mass. Applicatin october 17, 192s. serial No. 313,116

(Cl. 'zo-16) A 2 Claims.

This invention relates to locks, especially to a series of lo'cks for an automobile or other purposes. l

'I'he principal objects ofthe invention are to provide locks for the diierent parts of an automobile or the like and for general use in which,

although the keys of the different locks may be different or the same, as desired,. the plugs of the several locks will be identical and intert changeable; to provide a construction in which or house and having means for connecting it with an adapter .felement which is diierent for each lock and with means coming into operation by the insertion of a plug originally, which will prevent the removal of the plug without the use of a special key, and even then will prevent its removal except when the lock is unlocked.

YReference is to be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a sectional viewof a lock constructed in accordance with this invention showing the plug in elevation;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views on the transverse lines 2 2 and3-3 respectively of Fig, l;

Fig. 4 is a side view on enlarged scale of the connecting disc;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a. modication;

Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the 'detachable part of the plug with a special key therein;

Fig. 'I is a side view "of the same plug showing it connected with a form of lock dilerent from that shown in Fig. 1 and with the casing and locking parts in section;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the same, and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 'l with the plug removed but showing a third form of lock.

A good deal of trouble has been experienced in the automobile trade andther places owing to the fact that there are four or ve'locks on most cars and itis a diiicult matter to dismantle them or to furnish a key for one of them if the key is lost and as a matter of fact the thing that is usually done is to take the plug out. by drilling into the lock somewhere and thus mutilate the lock and prevent the re-use of the same combination. Thus the owner is 00 given a. dilerent key which in some cases is very unsatisfactory, especially where the owner has a single key for all the locks. This necessitates his carrying around one extra key which under present conditions is undesirable.

By means of this invention the various kinds of plugs which are now employed in several locks on a car are,'so to speak, cut in two and the end part which contains the cam or equivalent device for the actual operation of the lock, instead of being part of the plug, forms an adapter and is connected with the lock mechanism to be operated by the plug. The part of the plug which involves the disc and tumblers is made separate with a projection or the like fitting the inner part of the plug part or adapter left in the lock and thus performing the same functions as has been the case before. The outer part of the plug, for each lock, is the same, so that they can be interchanged at will. The object is to provide for convenience in assembling as the several plugs can all be inserted in the locks without regard to their relationship one to lfthe other and when inserted a disc, similar to the combination discs, automatically projects from the plug and prevents the removal of the plug at that time by any ordinary means.

With this invention, when it is desired to remove a plug a special key, kept at the factory and in' the hands of any authorized agent, is employed which is not made like an ordinary master \key necessarily, but is provided with a notch in the back into which the holding disc can be moved so as to bring that disc down to the circumference of the outside of the plug. 95 This is adapted to be done with the key in the lock and the lock unlocked and then the plug can be drawn out without interfering with any `of the mechanism or breaking anything. The

in each lock and that they were not interchangeable and it was absolutely necessary to get exactly the right plug for each lockand then manipulate it in an unhandy way in order to get it assembled. When assembled, it is putin permanently and something has to be destroyedy or injured in order to get it out. It has occurred to me that the adapters or inner ends of the plugs of the several different locks, of an automobile for example, can be made a permanent part ofthe lock and split from the outer v ends of the plugs and these outer ends, which constitute the plugproper, can be all made alike, interchangeable and readily insertable without necessitating the assembler bothering to supply the right one in each place.

I also find that with this'construction we have the advantage that this outer end lplug can be removed very readily by employing a special key, designed to be retained by the manufacturer or his authorized agent, Without destroying anything or performing any operation materially diierent from unlocking an ordinary lock and then it can be replaced by itself or by another plug like it. 'I'his reduces very materially the immense stock of plugs which manufacturers and dealers have to keep on hand and constitutes a very important saving in this respect, as well as in the other respects above mentioned.

Although this invention is adaptable for houses, stores, oices land the like, I have shown it as applied particularly to a set ofautomobile locks. Referring rst to Fig. 1, it will be seen that this shows a lock for thel handle of a door of an automobile and that the casing 10 is provided with a long passage in which is the ordinary plug, split in two parts, an adapter 1,1 and a plug12. The part 11 is secured in the casing 10 by a pin 13 and circumferential groove y14 so that it remains in place always after it is rst assembled It is provided with a crank 15 operating the locking bolt 16 as is well understood in this art. yThe casing is provided with the usual tumbler grooves 36. Q W

Heretofore the parts 11 and 12 have been in one piece and in order to remove this piece it was necessary to drive out the pin 13 or otherwise mutilate the door handle. Referring now to Fig. 7 it will be seen that there is a plug 12 in thel casing 17 just like the plug of the same number in Fig. 1 and that there is am adapter part 18` at the end of this plug having a crank 19 for operating the lock bolt 20. This is the lock for the transmission of the car. Similarly in Fig. 9

' is shown the plug 12 in the casing 21 and an adapter piece 22 constituting a continuation of the plug 12 and operating a-projection 23 for reciprocating a locking bolt.

I have shownthese three forms for illustrative u purposes, the invention being applicable to a considerably larger series in the same way. Inv

each case the plug 12F is provided with a'projection 25 which ts into af corresponding sloty26 in the adapter. 11, 18- or 22. When these parts are assembled, theV two parts of the plug work -outwardly by a spring 27 and adapted to be held in placel as shown in Fig. 2 by theA cylindrical surface of the lock casing 10, 17'or-21 as the case Asembled in the lock and held down against their may be. Each disc 24 is provided with an opening for Vthe key 30. This key may be made in various shapes as usual and I have shown in the drawing a case in which there are only four of these discs 24, the space for the fifth one being utilized in another Way. This of course reduces the number of combinations and the lock may be made with the full ve discs 24 and another slot provided for the holding disc 28 without reducing the number of combinations.

The disc 28 is dilerent from the discs 24 in the following particulars: It is located in two slots that are entirely separated from the key slot by solid metal in the form shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 5 its legs are located in two grooves 28b in the plug. At the bottom the disc is entirely cut out and there is no metal across it from one side to the other so that this disc is free to move outwardly as far as this is concerned. Furthermore, it is provided with a hook 29 extending outwardly, or 29B extending inwardly, which limits itsoutward motion to the position shown in Fig. 3,'in which it is sticking out into' an internal circumferential` groove 31 in the barrel of the lock casing 10. This is to prevent its being pushed out by the spring 27. 'Its legs have no communication with the key slot, so no tool can be introduced therein to raise the disc and pick the lock. In Fig. 7 a flat annular spring 37 is located between the two parts of the plug toassist in separating them when the outer part is to be removed.

In the assembly-of the device, the discs 24, four in number in the present case, are assprings 27 and the disc 28 or 28 also which does notcooperate with the ordinary key at all but is pushed down in the same way. The plug 12 is inserted and turned until the projection 25 enters the slot 26fand then pushed way in. 1 When the disc 28'registers with the circumferential groove 31, its spring 27 will force it out as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and then, this groove being a straight sided one, its wall will prevent the removal of `the plug 12. Now an ordinary key will lock and unlock this devicer in the usual way and the user will never appreciate that there is any special provision in the lock until he has trouble.

II the other locks on the car are arranged to operate by the same key, as is possible with this invention, the user will employ them in the ordinary v vay.4 They can 'be arranged so that each one has a separate key it desired. Now i1' anything happens, as for instance, the loss of the key, the `manufacturer or his agent can remove the plug in a very simple manner without injuring anything and without destroying the lock or any part of the device.

He employs a special ykey 30 which may be a. master key in the ordinary sense ofthe word, but vis provided with a notch 32 in the back. This key unlocks the lock and at the same time this notch registers with the disc 28 and permits pushing it down into the notch so that its' periphery will be Within the circumference of the plug 12. With an ordinary key, this action Vis prevented, Vas will be obvious, but withthis notch inposition and the lock unlocked, a pin 33 can be introduced through a passage 34 in the casing 10, located slightly off from the locked position ot the lock, and the disc 28 forced down out of the groove 31 so that the plug 12 `can be drawn out axially. The backside of the notch 32 acting on the disc 28 forms a positive means vfor pulling it out after the disc is forced in in the manner stated. It will be seen that this leaves the adapter part of the plug l1, 18 or 22 in place and does not interfere with it in any way.

This constitutes a very simple way of providing for the assembly of the locks in the factory, reduces the time required in selecting the right plug, and putting it in very materially, avoids the necessity of mutilating either the lock or the plug in order to get the plug out for making a new key when the key is lost, and is of particular convenience where the owner desires one key to t a plurality of locks. The features of the plug itself shown in this application are not claimed herein because they constitute part of the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial Number 298,691, filed August 10, 1928.

Although I have illustrated and described only a single form of the invention, I am aware of the fact that modifications canl be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is:-

1. A lock combination, in which a single key operable lock plug is adaptable without alteration in design or size to various types of lock mechanisms, comprising a mounting casing having a bore, an adapter mounted in the inner end portion of the bore and'arranged to actuate a lock mechanism, a key controlled lock plug rotatable in the outer end portion of the same bore and removable endwise therefrom, an operating connection between the lock plug and said adapter whereby rotation of the lock plug effected through the medium of a proper key moves the adapter to actuate a lock mechanism connected therewith, said connection being readily separable to enable endwise removal of the lock plug, and lmeans to releasably secure the lock plug in the mounting casing in operative connection with the adapter.

2. A lock combination, comprising a mounting casing having a single diameter bore, a cylindrical adapter rotatably mounted in the inner end portion of the bore and arranged to actuate a lock mechanism, a key controlled cylindrical lock plug insertable endwise in the outer end portion of the same bore, and a longitudinally separable operating connection between the lock plug and the adapter whereby the same are connected as one forming continuations of each other and rotation of the lock plug effected through the medium of a proper key moves the adapter to actuate a lock mechanism connected therewith, said separable connection being readily made and broken by endwise movement of the lock plug towards and away from the adapter.

MORRIS FALK. 

